Springsteen to the rescue - again!

My goodness did I wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. In fact, I didn't even wake up on MY side of MY bed. I woke up in the guest bedroom after being booted from my bed by the dogs. Gus normally sleeps in bed with us, but Penny, well, she's just too large to sleep on the bed (and I know many people will say they don't belong on our bed to begin with, but HUSH....my house, my rules). When my day actually started, I was out of sorts and in a pissy mood, for lack of a better term, just ask my husband.

I left late for work and as I entered the highway, my phone rang. It was my supervisor. Normally, I'm well on my way by the time she had called, but today, NOPE. Wasn't a huge deal, but enough to throw off my already crapshoot of a morning. Pulled into the parking lot at the time I'm supposed to be in my classroom and I truly hate feeling rushed. My own fault today, I get that.

An email regarding the phone system at work set me off on a vocal tirade, to which a coworker commented about my mood first thing. Wake up call. As I sat here looking at my computer screen that had all my favorite Sirius channels listed, I gazed through the listing and immediately saw that Thunder Road was playing on E Street Radio. That's it. I'm listening to Channel 20 because if ANYONE can relate to my moods, it's Springsteen. And the best part is, he doesn't even know it!!!!

Throughout my life....well, since I was in the 4th grade and a mere girl of 10 years old....Bruce Springsteen has spoken to me. Ok, HE hasn't actually spoken to me, but his lyrics have. It was hearing Thunder Road for the first time that captivated me with this man who would later become the one entity that could always get me through the rough times in my life. Thunder Road is the one song that has always given me hope in trying times, sunshine on my grey sky days, a smile when the corners of my mouth want to dip into a frown.

I wasn't sure how my "I'm listening to nothing but Springsteen today" would go over with my coworkers, but truth be told, I didn't really care. Much like the 'my house my rules' attitude I have, it's kind of like a 'my Sirius my computer my music choice' attitude as well! No apologies here. It is a good thing my aide enjoys the music of Springsteen, too!

So, here I sit, listening to an episode of Be The Boss on E Street Radio, smiling through someone's song choices and listening to how Springsteen has affected their lives as well. It's a weird thing, how the music of one man can do that; can bring people together and make us realize that we are not alone in our struggles, happiness, and love for all things Springsteen. I reflect on the many concerts I've been to, the time I was the Boss on E Street Radio, the front row experience, the back to back night experience, and the many times his music has gotten me through a rough time.

Today, it is 4 months since losing Billy. I know that's weighing heavily on my heart and mind. Today, I will allow Mr Springsteen to help me through all my feelings and emotions, as only his music can do. Maybe, I'll get a message in one of the songs, maybe I'll hear something I missed the million other times I've heard a song, and maybe I'll somehow feel the weight of this lift from my shoulders.

Maybe.

For now, I'll listen with open ears and an open heart. And one day, when I am fortunate enough to meet Mr Springsteen, I will thank him for always coming to my rescue. A girl can dream......

A friendship forever connected to the Purple Rain (a Prince Tribute)

It’s April 21, 2016. I woke up this morning fully aware of this particular date. I dread April 21 every year since 2007.Today was no different. I dreaded this day. It was gearing up to be a disaster in so many ways. If I could have crawled back into bed and not gotten out until April 22, I probably would have. But alas, I got up and went about my day.

My students were outside enjoying gym class and I got an alert on my phone. “TMZ reports musical artist, Prince, dead.” WHAAAAT? I opened the link, immediately took a screen shot, and sent it to my daughters. I felt like I needed to share this with someone, and the one person I wanted to share the news with has her Facebook limited with not being able to post to her wall. My oldest daughter, wisely, said, “wait til someone other than TMZ reports it”, but I had this sinking feeling happening.  I was floundering. Hoping this was, indeed, a cruel rumor running rampant through the internet, I immediately began to ‘fact check’ if this was accurate. I did post a status on my personal Facebook page declaring: “2016, You suck. That is all.”

Of course, the typically positive and happy me was met with a combination of comments from other ‘just as surprised’ friends and those who always expect me to be happy and positive. Of course 2016 was good to me so far. My daughter got married and my other daughter will be graduating from high school and starting college this year, but let’s be real here folks. 2016 has been a CRAPPY year for people in the entertainment business. Today, 2016 took from this world an incredibly talented artist. And that makes me sad.

I remember being 11 or 12 years old, sleeping over at my best friend Heather’s house, and watching Purple Rain on either VHS or Beta (whatever it was in ‘84/’85). I remember feeling so grown up, and yet like I was doing something so illegal. It was the first time I’d ever seen sex and drugs on tv. And it became a forever connection with my oldest, dearest, bestest friend of about 40 years. Purple Rain. Whenever one of us heard that song in a random place, we’d let the other know. It is our connection song.  I could belt out the lyrics and sing it with heart and soul. When I got home from school today, I immediately went to youtube to watch as much Prince as I could, starting with Purple Rain.

Prince. He was larger than life. Eccentric. Talented. Gifted. He was PRINCE. I often thought it was awesome that he could simply go by his first name (and yes, people, his given name was Prince. Prince Rogers Nelson.). He was Prince! Even when he went through the stage where he was a symbol and then the Artist Formerly Known as Prince, he was PRINCE. Maybe I always felt the connection to him and his music because of our obvious love of the color purple. Maybe it was because I always appreciated that he was so unique. Maybe it was because his songs always made me want to move. Maybe it was because as a pre-teen, he could probably be credited for creating the rebel in me. Who knows. All I do know, is that I truly feel the loss of this man, without ever meeting him (or him even knowing who the hell I am in this universe).

2016 has been a terrible year for the entertainment industry, and Prince’s passing is just another to add to the ever growing list this year. Perhaps it is a sad realization that I’m not as young as I thought I was and with that fact comes the knowledge that I’m going to start seeing this trend in actors, musicians, artists, entertainers as the years move along. As long as Springsteen stays off the list, my sanity may remain in tact.

Until next time.....Think Thankfully

Keep the faith

Today's blog will be written a bit later......I've got so much in my head and I definitely need to make sure I get everything down the way I want to....so keep the faith....it's coming! 

It may have come late, but today's blog posting has been repeating over and over in my head all day long. Perhaps it was the events of last evening that kept putting this term on instant replay all day. Keep the Faith. This is a reminder I think we all need to keep in our heads...every single day. Keep the Faith.

How easy it is to lose faith. Lose hope. Lose all sense of logic in our lives. It is very easy, especially when faced with the evils that haunt our thoughts each day. Keep the Faith.

Matthew 19:26 – “But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’  With God, all things ARE possible. Lately, I've needed this reminder. I've needed the reminder to keep the faith. Isaiah 26:4 has also been a great reminder for me these past few days. "Trust in The Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock." Yes, he is our eternal rock. Our refuge in times of trial.

After nearly being hit head on, having a friend 'missing', and another friend dealing with the health issues of her sweet little boy, I needed the reminder to Keep the Faith. Throughout this Think Thankfully journey I am on, I've learned just how easy it is to be tempted, to be pushed to limits, to listen (and almost believe) the whispers of the devil as things start to go wrong in my life. BUT, I've also learned that my faith in God, my trust in Him, and my belief that He doesn't give us anything we can't handle will help me through anything.

Once again, in keeping with the idea of music moving me, the lyrics to Lady Antebellum's song Compass  keep running through my head. Tonight, I'd like to send this one out to my friend, Dana, who is dealing with some troubling times. I just want to remind her that when things are all said and done, she can walk instead of run and she'll NEVER be alone. I'm always right here....

Compass

Lady Antebellum

Yea it's been a bumpy road

Roller coasters high and low

Fill the tank and drive the car

Pedal fast, pedal hard

You won't have to go that far

You want to give up cause it's dark

We're really not that far apart

So let your heart sweetheart be your compass when you're lost

And you should follow it wherever it may go

When it's all said and done you can walk instead of run

'Cause no matter what you'll never be alone

Never be alone

Never be alone

Forgot directions on your way

Don't close your eyes don't be afraid

We might be crazy late at night

I can't wait til you arrive

Follow stars you'll be alright

You want to give up cause it's dark

We're really not that far apart

So let your heart sweetheart be your compass when you're lost

And you should follow it wherever it may go

When it's all said and done you can walk instead of run

'Cause no matter what you'll never be alone

Never be alone

Never be alone

You want to give up cause it's dark

We're really not that far apart

So let your heart sweetheart be your compass when you're lost

And you should follow it wherever it may go

When it's all said and done you can walk instead of run

'Cause no matter what you'll never be alone

Never be alone

Never be alone

When it's all said and done you can walk instead of run

'Cause no matter what you'll never be alone

Until tomorrow, my friends, let YOUR heart be your compass and your guide...

Think thankfully!

Be strong in The Lord.....never give up hope!

The music bug bit me again yesterday. I sat at my desk, working on getting homework sheets together for my 3rd graders and I noticed a text on my phone. My dear friend Lisa told me to listen to a song before the day was over. She said it was in her mind when she woke up in the morning and she wanted to share it with me. The song, you ask? The Words I Would Say by the Sidewalk Prophets. Now, I had never heard of this band before Lisa's text. Rather than wait, I immediately went to iTunes and downloaded the song, instantly listening to it. Yup.....the music bug bit me again!

I am all about powerful songs. Believe me when I say, I'm a sucker for some heavy metal music (trust me, Drowning Pool's Bodies has a special place in my heart, as does Seether's Rise Above This, for times when I need an aggressive song!!! Really! Would I lie to you??!!) and at times I need my country connection (y'know, I need my Luke Bryan fix every great now and again because he is a hottie!!! Uh, huh!!!!), but this time, a more Contemporary Christian tune has become a bit of an earworm since hearing it, and that is not a bad thing. I do find myself humming Blessed Assurance more often than not when I feel as though I am in need, but I do believe I have found a new song to get me through my 'moments'.

Today, a dear friend of mine is battling another struggle in her 'amost' year long journey of motherhood. Her little guy, who will be 1 year old tomorrow, is being admitted to the hospital in order to insert a feeding tube. At 1 year of age, my little Bean Machine still does not weigh 15 pounds. He is a happy little man, just cannot gain weight. His mommy is a single mom, who is the most amazing, loving, giving mommy in the world. If I could send this song out to just one person today, it would be my friend, Megan. The lyrics of this song are what I would say, if I could talk to her this morning. Much like my friend Lisa yesterday, the song was in my head as I woke up. I was singing it in the shower, and I knew I had to write this blog and let Megan know that she should never give up hope!

The Words I Would Say

Sidewalk Prophets

Three in the morning, and I'm still awake

So I picked up a pen and a page

And I started writing just what I'd say

If we were face to face

  

I'd tell you just what you mean to me

Tell you these simple truths

  

CHORUS

Be strong in the LORD

And never give up hope

You're gonna do great things

I already know

God's got His hand on You

So don't live life in fear

Forgive and forget

But don't forget why you're here

Take your time and pray

These are the words I would say

Last time we spoke you said you were hurting

And I felt your pain in my heart

I want to tell you that I keep on praying

That love will find you where you are

I know cause I've already been there

So please hear these simple truths

CHORUS

Say... from one simple life to another

I will say... come find peace in the Father

  

Be strong in the Lord

And never give up hope

You're gonna do great things

I already know

God's got His hand on You

So don't live life in fear

Forgive and forget

But don't forget why you're here

Take your time and pray

And thank God for each day

His love will find a way

These are the words I would say

I would love to post the video for this song, because it is one that will stick in your head, however, the last time I did that, I'm not sure everyone was able to see the video. Heck I wasn't able to see it on my phone or iPad. I guess I should just go ahead, in the event the right person hears this song and it makes a difference to them to.

The Sidewalk Prophets: The Words I Would Say

Again, if there is a way this blog would EVER reach the Sidewalk Prophets, please accept this entry as a big thank you. Thank you for writing a song that I can relate to, that I can share, that moved me. You will never know just how much these words will help me through my own troubling times.

Until tomorrow, my friends....be strong in The Lord and NEVER give up hope! God's got plans for you!

Think Thankfully!!!

Say something.....

I rarely watch music video television (MTV, VH1, CMT) anymore. Just don't like that it isn't really MUSIC television as I remember it in my younger days. HOWEVER, this morning, my daughter was sitting on the couch next to me and didn't like what I had on the TV. She asked if she could see what else was on, to which I, of course, obliged. She turned on VH1. What happened next was almost like a religious experience for me.

On the screen, there was a kind of goofy looking guy (my apologies to the singer....it was my first impression) playing a piano on a darkened but spotlighted stage and singing, followed by singing from a female. I am listening to the song (because if you read my blog the other day, I truly do listen to the lyrics) and watching the video (which was intensely amazing) and the tears just started to flow. And flow. And flow some more. It was the most amazingly beautiful song I have heard in a long time, accompanied by a very well produced video as well. I am sitting here, many minutes after hearing this song and watching the video, with tears still in my eyes. My hands grabbed my phone and I instantly text messaged my BFF (because he has the same appreciation for music and lyrics as I do). In the back and forth, I realized I needed to blog about this song and what it meant to me.

First of all, I need to give a HUGE thank you to A Great Big World for writing such a masterpiece. The song Say Something is amazing. I truly think many people need to hear this song. And I don't just mean listen to it, I mean HEAR it. Let it speak to you. It is simply awesome. For me, this whole song is about really letting go, of many different things in life. It's kind of the story of my life to this point. Troubled relationships, my straying from the path I was on, the strings of motherhood (to a degree mind you), the hurt and anger I felt when my grandma passed away……letting go of the negatives in my life. It is soooooooo much about realizing what our true worth really is in this great big world (pun intended based on the name of the band - cute, I know!). I’ve spoken so much about the idea that you really have to love yourself and be happy with who YOU are and then understanding that to truly and honestly love someone else (or be loved by someone else for that matter) it requires loving yourself first and foremost. Love yourself first. Shall I repeat that? Love yourself first  Don't let anyone take you for granted. 

I’m not sure if it is this whole getting back in touch with my faith that really made this song speak to me the way it did, if it was the final release of all the negative forces that tried to bring me down this week, or if it is because I can honestly say I experienced this in my past, but something…..SOMETHING….reached out and touched my heart as I listened to the words, beautifully put to music, in this song.

from YouTube - The official video for Say Something

Please take the time to really HEAR this song.....hopefully it will speak to you as it did me. And if the band A Great Big World (or Christina Aguilera) ever see this.....consider this entire blog my GREAT BIG THANK YOU.

I am, once again, thankful that I learned true music appreciation. I am thankful that I learned to truly HEAR a song and not just listen to it. I am thankful I am able to get my feelings down on paper (or on screen) and let go! I'm thankful my daughter had on VH1 today and I am thankful I sat and watched with her. I'm thankful this song came across my path today.

Until tomorrow, my friends.....say something to those you love.......to those who mean the most to you. Don't let them walk away as if they never mattered to you.

Think Thankfully!

I wanna get lost in rock and roll and drift away.........

We all need an escape. Every. Single. One. Of. Us. We all need that little release from the reality we seem to find ourselves in, to just let go of our worries and thoughts and just go to our happy place. Music is my escape.

For as long as I can remember, I turn to songs and lyrics when my heart is troubled, my mood is down, my spirits need lifting. It wasn't until high school that I truly learned to appreciate lyrics and music the way it is supposed to be appreciated. You see, there was this English teacher, Mr. Yeager. Boy was he a tough nut, but one of my all time favorite teachers, one from whom I learned a lot about writing, speaking, and listening. He had a class that he created called Modern Folk Rock Composers and most of us couldn't wait to take the class. Heck, who wouldn't want to listen to music instead of learning grammar, I mean REALLY!!?? It was in his presentation of the class that I learned to look for the meaning in song, look for the point the lyricist may have been making, and to interpret songs a bit deeper than just liking it because it sounds good.

Since that class, I have been unable to listen to songs without really listening (perhaps that is a reason I truly do love Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus, but please don't judge me on that!). Music is my escape. It is a universal language that everyone (well, ok, almost everyone) can appreciate. Seriously, look at all the different genres of music there are....Blues, Jazz, Country, Rock, Pop, Rap, Alternative, Classical, Show tunes, Oldies, Classic Rock, Southern Rock, and the list goes on and on. One look at my iPod, and you will see I have a very eclectic taste in music. My high school students used to cringe when the iPod would start up in class, because I allowed THEM to choose the first song of the day and then it just played through. Sure I added some songs at their request, but where it landed in the thousands of songs was anyone's guess. We may have heard a wonderful rendition of The Beastie Boys song Paul Revere to be followed by Blessed Assurance, the Third Day version. Sometimes Li'l Wayne would pop on and then be quickly followed by the theme song for Phineas and Ferb. Forcing some of them to suffer through country tunes only to have a Bill DeHart original pop on and watching expressions......music quickly became their escape too.

As I taught one of my units on the different ways stories are told, I used music to get my point across, finding songs that truly told a story. I introduced them to Thunder Road by my all time favorite Bruce Springsteen and challenged them to interpret the story being told. They listened to American Pie by Don McLean and to round out the listening, I introduced them to one of my most beloved story songs by Ms Dolly Parton, Me and Little Andy. It amazed me how intense the students were as they listened, as their eyes welled with tears, as they asked to hear it just one more time. I impressed upon them using music, not as a tool for bad mouthing people but as a way to connect. To tell a story. To escape, when they needed to escape.

Music is my escape. When I am feeling low, I turn to music. When I am happy, I turn to music. When I need to figure out what mood I am in, I turn to music. Music truly is my escape. As soon as I publish this particular blog, I may sit down and write a Thank You note to Mr. Yeager and offer my sincere gratitude for his class so many years ago.....lessons I learned that are still with me today and then I am going to put my headphones on and listen to some music and unwind.

Until tomorrow, my friends.....find the beat, friends, and soothe your soul and just get lost in rock and roll and drift away.........

Think Thankfully!!